Two disguises, one secret
by phobeimos
Summary: For Kaitou Kid, The Red Wonder is just another gem worth stealing. However, what kind of effect will it have if Aoko suddenly decides to show up at the scene? Kaito Kuroba's secret is in grave danger of being discovered by none other than his childhood friend... It will be a turn of events not even the magician under the moonlight can prepare himself for!
1. The Plan

The idea for this fanfic has been haunting me since almost a week and I had to write it down. The first chapter might seem a little dull, but only because there are some things that need to be cleared before the story can get started properly. However, I promise the forthcoming chapters will raise your adrenaline levels ;)  
Also, this is my first fanfic, so please don't be too harsh :)

Let's ring up the curtain!

* * *

Friday, 12th August

It was one of those days when Aoko was walking the way home without any company. It was an understatement that they quarrelled a lot. And after each and every one of their fights she ended up thinking about them for the entire day, pondering what she said or did that led to it. However, this time the seventeen-year-old girl didn't occupy herself with this question for long. That stupid Kaito, it was his fault entirely. Aoko found him being most amused, sitting in his chair in class, giggling at Kaitou Kid's new message. That day, the morning newspaper announced another sensation, one familiar, yet eagerly anticipated every day by the public. As usual, Aoko's childhood friend would be reading through the lines of the announcement multiple times and look forward to the evening when he will once again escape from the police's grasp. Aoko didn't like when Kaito ignored her opinion about that cheeky thief. Seeing him reading Kid's message, she got the feeling he was laughing at her father's misfortune at capturing the thief, thus mocking the entire division of the Metropolitan Police. She ended up losing her temper and raising her voice as always, but this time the whole situation escalated. Both of them said too much and she decided she would leave her friend behind and walk the road by the river on her own.

"Fine! I don't need your company anyway," shouted Kaito after her just before she shut the door with a loud bang.

Thinking what a huge moron Kaito was, Aoko also got concerned about her father for she knew he won't be able to sleep a wink until the showdown with the thief. There were two days until Sunday, the written date on the notice. Aoko really wished for her father to finally capture Kid, so he would get some rest at last and it made her both angry and miserable to see so many people rooting for the thief. Throughout the past months, Kid's fan base grew larger and larger, attracting many citizens to the site of his heists, making the job of the police even more difficult and increasing the chance of their failure. Above everything else, her childhood friend was one of them as well. No matter how hard she tried, she wasn't able to understand the greatness and the hype about Kid. The only thing she knew was that he made her father embarrass himself over and over again.

After arriving at home, she prepared a bento box for the inspector and hurried towards the police headquarters to give it to him. She knew he wouldn't come home for lunch now that Kid has reappeared; therefore she decided to bring the lunch to him.

Like after any other of Kid's notices, the division was a mess. People were running aimlessly through the corridors shouting and dropping various files on the floor, and then picking them up only to proceed to run like madmen as if it was the end of the world. One of them dropped an issue of the morning newspaper. Aoko picked it up in order to return it to its owner, but he was nowhere to be seen anymore. Thinking that they would surely have more issues at the station, she kept it and slowly walked into the direction of her father's office, carefully avoiding the nervous crowd of people around her. While waiting for the inspector, she decided to read the article concerning the heist. Even though Kaito had already told her about it, she wanted to read the details with her own eyes. The story, which could be found on the second page, said:

"The incredible thief returns! Yesterday, the Metropolitan Police Department received another note from the cheeky magician saying he would be back this Sunday in order to steal The Red Wonder, a precious ruby that has travelled to our country all the way from France. Will Inspector Nakamori, who is famous for his numerous attempts at trying to catch Kid, finally bring him behind bars this time or will another gemstone slip from the police's grasp along with the thief? Will his identity ever be discovered?"

Aoko read angrily through the lines, close to losing her temper again. What is so special about Kid? He's just another petty thief, nothing else!

On the same page there was another article with details about the gem along with its owners. Aoko looked at the picture and let out a silent scream. First there was a photo of the gem in question. It was a fairly large tear shaped ruby, enclosed in a silver bracelet. Apparently it belonged to a twenty-year-old girl named Emma Roux, the only female descendant of a rich French family. This family heirloom was said to be one of the rarest gemstones in the world, therefore it was no wonder Kid was after it. The Roux family had another descendant, a young man named Maximilien, Miss Emma's older brother. Their parents died in an accident ten years ago, that's why he was the one who was taking care of her even though she was already an adult. The reason why they were in Tokyo was because the Roux family was one of the sponsors for a famous local event which required them to be present at the opening ceremony. It was supposed to be opened on Monday, a day after Kid's announced date. Also, the Roux family's roots originated from Japan, that's why it was natural for them to have tight connections with the country.

It was the photo of Miss Emma and her brother that left Aoko baffled. Maximilien had a fairly Caucasian appearance, but Emma on the other hand… She seemed to have inherited more of her family's Eastern genes for she looked just like any other twenty-year-old Japanese girl. Actually, she looked exactly like Aoko.

Aoko looked closer at the photo in the newspaper, still not believing what was in front of her. It was true. Their height, their build and even the colour and length of their hair was identical. The only difference was the colour of their eyes; Aoko's were blue and Miss Emma's were bright green. In the photo, Miss Emma was wearing a dark green coloured beret that was her trademark, but other than that they looked the same.

"Aoko! What are you doing here?" asked Inspector Nakamori who came along the corridor and noticed his daughter sitting on one of the chairs in front of his office. His voice made her jump.

"Otou-san! I brought you some lunch." She handed the bento box to her father with a smile. "I thought you wouldn't come home for lunch today since Kid…"

"That bloody thief!" he exclaimed without accepting the lunch his daughter made for him. He directed his steps towards his office while continuing, "The entire division is turned upside down because of him. I will never let him take The Red Wonder! Wait, he can have it, but only over my dead body!"

Aoko decided to wait for her father to calm down. He always acted overly irritated and excited whenever there was a notice from his long time enemy. She silently followed him into his office still gripping the bento box tightly. Once inside she put it on the edge of his desk. It was only then that she noticed they weren't the only ones in the room. From the photograph in the newspaper Aoko recognised the Roux siblings. She couldn't help but stare at Miss Emma, her eyes sweeping the other girl's face over and over again. Her father and Maximilien seemed to have noticed it as well for they kept looking in silence at the two girls. It was Emma who spoke first.

"You… You look like me," she said slowly, still not believing her eyes. Aoko kept silent, only her face lit up in a bright red colour. She also noticed the famous bracelet on Miss Emma's wrist. It dangled happily making an almost inaudible clicking sound whenever she moved.

"Inspector, is she allowed in here?" Maximilien broke the silence with his question. "She might even be Kid in disguise, we can never know." He threw Aoko a suspicious look.

"She is my daughter, Aoko. She brings me lunch and stuff." He looked at his daughter. "Kid dressing up as Aoko? Oh, rest assured, Kid wouldn't disguise himself as her. If I catch him doing such a thing, I will show him what I am capable of as a father and as a policeman!"

Aoko smiled politely at Maximilien's puzzled look, and then took a seat at the back of the room. The other three discussed the details of the security system at the hotel room the Roux siblings were staying at. Kid said in his notice he would descend from the sky and claim his treasure in the moonlight. The Red Wonder wasn't so easy to steal though. The lock could only be opened with a specially made key that the oldest son, Maximilien, wore around his neck night and day. Miss Emma also had the piece of jewellery around her wrist all the time for she had no need to worry of losing it. This meant Kid first had to acquire the key from the brother, then sneak into the sister's room and unlock the bracelet in order to take it.

However, there was one part that didn't really work. Miss Emma wasn't willing to cooperate with the Japanese police, no matter how many times her brother and Inspector Nakamori told her it would help a lot at preventing Kid to commit the theft. When they asked for the reason, she just shook her head and claimed she would stay in the room below in the hotel, not wanting to be involved in any way. While listening to their conversation, Aoko had an amazing idea. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became it would work. A faint smile spread across her features as she thought about the surprised look Kid would have when he discovered the truth.

Suddenly, Maximilien received a phone call.

"Excuse us, but we have to go," he said after disconnecting the line. "There are some things we need to discuss regarding the opening ceremony on Monday."

"Can Miss Emma remain here for another fifteen minutes? Just for the usual formalities," asked the inspector. "One of our policemen will escort her to the hotel once we're finished."

"Yes, sure," answered Maximilien and rushed out of the room.

Aoko saw this as her chance. She approached the other two and said, "Otou-san, on Sunday when Kid comes to take the bracelet… I'd like to switch places with Miss Emma."

* * *

Thank you for reading through my first chapter and I hope you liked it! Stay tuned for more because it's going to get exciting :D  
Reviews are more than welcome :))


	2. Preparations

I was so happy to see how many of you read the story, that's why I am posting another chapter today. After all, I don't want to keep you waiting for too long. :D

So here it goes, ta-daah!

* * *

Sunday, 14th August

Aoko had to go through quite some trouble to convince her father that her plan would work. She wanted to switch places with Miss Emma and she was aware she would run into some obstacles before he accepted her proposal. This way everything could go the way the police intended and they didn't have to think of a plan B. After all she only had to put on a beret and the bracelet and she was good to go for they resembled each other so much not even Kid would notice the difference. Of course, the bracelet she would wear had to be the real one. Understandably, Kid could tell from afar if the original has been switched with a fake. As for Miss Emma, she was willing to cooperate right away as long as she could have her peace. So far only the three of them knew of the plan: Aoko, Miss Emma and the inspector. Inspector Nakamori decided it would be for the better if only a few of them had this knowledge. Thus the chances of Kid finding out about it would decrease. In the end it was decided that even Miss Emma's brother was to be kept in the dark.

"If you maintain quite a distance between you two, he won't even notice. He'll be too busy with other things," said Miss Emma to Aoko before she disappeared into her newly rented hotel room. The relationship between the two siblings wasn't as splendid as it appeared. Since the death of their parents they kept up the image of a happy family for public purposes only. The truth, however, was different.

Aoko stopped by at Miss Emma's new room to borrow some clothes for the disguise. Miss Emma let her in on a secret while she was awkwardly sitting on the edge of her bed, feeling extremely uncomfortable and waiting for the other girl to fish out an outfit of her bag that she brought with her downstairs. Maximilien wasn't the only one who possessed the key that unlocked the precious bracelet, Miss Emma had one of her own as well.

"Shush, don't tell anyone," she whispered with her finger on her lips. Aoko nodded shyly. "I acquired it about a year ago when Maximilien took it off for a few hours," she explained trying to conceal a giggle.

Now it was 8.45 PM, fifteen minutes until the announced time.

In the hotel room, someone disguised as Maximilien Roux was getting rather nervous. Kaito Kuroba didn't borrow someone else's identity for the first time, yet he felt like he could be discovered any minute. There was something he couldn't exactly put his finger on. Something about this heist felt strange, like he forgot something important regarding the preparations. In his head he quickly listed all the things required in order to successfully steal the jewel and then escape without getting caught. He has done it numerous times before, has he not? Kaito let out a silent sigh of relief. Everything was like it should be.

What's that weird feeling then? Could it be something related to the fight he had a few days ago with Aoko? True, they haven't talked since, but that happened all the time. In the end, they would make up like always. Another possibility was that he managed to knock out the real Maximilien too late. Kaito had the intention to disguise himself as the older Roux in order to get a good look at the jewel before actually appearing on the scene as Kaitou Kid. However, things didn't go as smoothly as he planned and Maximilien only happened to leave the room for a short while just an hour before the announced time. Moreover, when he finally got the disguise right, Kaito couldn't find Miss Emma.

In the "official statement" it said that Miss Emma changed her mind and decided to lend a hand at catching Kid. This included Maximilien, the Roux family's security and the policemen positioned on the premises of the hotel that night. So far, nobody questioned this, not even our thief.

Kaito shook his head and headed towards the door. When he opened them, he almost ran his "sister" over who just came up with the lift.

"_Gomen, nii-san_," she said in a silent voice and slid into the room beside him, only granting him a short glance. Aoko was holding her breath while waiting for Maximilien's reaction. She forgot to ask Miss Emma how they called each other, so she just said _nii-san_ in the heat of the moment. However, her "brother" didn't seem to have noticed anything, he only responded with a faint smile. His glace was directed more at the jewel dangling on her wrist than to her face. Aoko could relax, she wasn't found out even before the whole thing began. Also, there was one more thing Maximilien didn't notice. The bracelet in question was on her left wrist. Miss Emma usually wore it on her right wrist for she was left-handed. Aoko only noticed this in the lift and didn't have time to return to the previous floor and make an exchange, so she ended up wearing it on her left wrist and hoping for the best. Surely her father wouldn't point this out. Much to her surprise, Maximilien ignored it as well despite taking a good look at it earlier.

"Okay, take this with you," said the inspector, who suddenly appeared beside her and put something into her hand as discreetly as possible. "But don't look at it now." Aoko nodded and let the object fall into the pocket of her skirt. Her father continued, "It's a remote. The plan is the following: you will be in Miss Emma's room and as soon as Kid pops up from somewhere, you press the button and we will be right there and catch him in the act. The entire hotel is surrounded and all the exits are blocked. No one will get out before getting their faces pinched first! I have the feeling this time we'll get him for sure!" he said shaking his fists in the direction of the windows. He escorted his daughter to Miss Emma's room.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Aoko took a look around. She couldn't believe how prestigious this top floor room of the hotel was. The Roux family got the president suite of Tokyo's most expensive hotel in the centre of the city. In the middle of the room there was an enormous bed with numerous cushions, multiple windows that reached almost to the ceiling and beautiful paintings on the wall. You could forget you were in the capital of Japan for the entire suite was radiating a completely European vibe. No wonder they were provided with this room, it made the siblings from France feel more at home. Aoko threw herself on the bed, feeling the softness of the bed sheet on her skin. Now that she was lying down she could see a large chandelier in the middle of the ceiling. She also felt something against her thigh and then remembered the remote her father gave her. She looked around as if checking no one could see her and then took a look at the device. It wasn't bigger than her palm and it had only one button.

_Well, this won't be hard_, thought Aoko and put it back into her pocket. She decided to kill the remaining time by exploring the room. She went over to the mirror positioned beside the bed and took a seat. On the table in front of her there was Miss Emma's entire makeup collection, from eyeliners to lipsticks in various shades of red. Aoko imagined how it was in Miss Emma's country and how exciting it would be to extend this switch. This way Aoko could travel to France instead of her and try to live a life Miss Emma does. She closed her eyes and wandered off to a city far away. However, the more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that the European lifestyle wouldn't suit her at all. From what she has seen, neither Miss Emma nor her brother seems to have a cheerful personality despite being well known and loved by everyone as well in France as in Japan. In conclusion, too much fame isn't good either.

On the roof, a certain thief just finished the final preparations. He put the borrowed clothes back beside the sleeping Maximilien and stepped on the edge of the building. He was standing right above the balcony to Miss Emma's room; he only had to descend a few metres.

_Maybe if I'm lucky, I can see her getting changed_, he giggled at the thought of seeing the girl in her underwear.

The minute hand on Maximilien's watch reached the twelve which meant the stage was prepared and the audience was waiting. Kid looked at the city bathed in the rainbow coloured lights of the night. Feeling the wind on his cheeks, he smiled.

"Well, let the show begin!" He spread his arms as if he was about to take flight and stepped off the edge. A few moments later he silently landed on the balcony, supporting himself with one hand on the ground. He would have loved to take a peek inside, but the curtains were drawn. After quickly mastering the lock's mechanism, a tiny "click" was heard. He pushed the balcony doors open. His gaze fell on a seemingly absent girl in a dark red beret sitting in front of a mirror fiddling with a dozen of personal care products. The jewel on her wrist was shining invitingly. The sound of the door opening startled her and their eyes met in the mirror.

Aoko heard an almost inaudible squeal followed by a cool breeze that embraced her from behind. She looked into the mirror and saw a white silhouette and a pair of piercing eyes. Turning around in an instant, she could see that this wasn't merely a product of her imagination. The magician under the moonlight was standing right in front of her with his hands in his pocket looking at her expectantly. A faint smile was painted across his features. The wind, eager to intrude into the room, was softly caressing the magician's cape producing a faint hissing sound in the process.

The thief took his hands out of his pockets and bowed. "Good evening, _ojou-san_."

* * *

Aaaand that's all for now! I will post the third chapter soon and I hope you'll return to read it. :)

You have made me one happy writer!


	3. Truth

Konnichiwa minna-san! Thank you for reading through the first two chapters, you are awesome :D So, here's the third, enjoy! :)

* * *

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Kid while his gaze followed Aoko's hand that disappeared in her pocket.

"H… How did you know?" She asked confused, gripping the device in her pocket, but not pushing any buttons. As soon as he spoke, she froze and was unable to call for her father. Instead she just stood there, her eyes wide with amazement even though (as we may know) she didn't really take a liking to Kid. However, this was the first time she was in a room where only the two of them were present. Before tonight she never got to take such a close look at him. All the encounters so far were so quick she barely remembered more than a white figure with a top hat. Against her will, her heartbeat quickened and she could feel her blood flowing upwards, tinting her cheeks in a faint red colour. She averted her eyes and began inspecting the carpet. For some unidentified reason she didn't want Kid to notice her uneasiness.

"I am a magician, am I not?" he asked with a smile and approached Aoko. _Actually, it was me who suggested the remote to the inspector only a few hours ago disguised as one of his fellow officers, _he thought trying to conceal a giggle of satisfaction.

"Now, may I take a look at this marvellous jewel?" He stretched out his arm towards her expecting her to hand over The Red Wonder, but then suddenly stopped in mid-air. There was something reflecting from her features that made him do so. The thief felt like he has met her somewhere before which was impossible since this was the first time the Roux siblings travelled to Japan. When she spoke again, her voice raised even more suspicion.

"No," Aoko said with determination and hid her left hand behind her back. Remembering she had to play the role of Miss Emma now she continued, "This bracelet is the legacy of my family and we can't afford to just hand it over to a petty thief like you. Even if you might return it in the future."

"You are really stubborn, _ojou-san_," he said and stepped closer to her. After clicking his fingers in front of Aoko's stunned face, a beautiful red rose appeared in his hand accompanied by a little smoke. For a moment her face lit up for this gesture reminded her of a certain someone who loved magic as much as Kid did. When she wanted to take the flower the magician was handing her, she noticed the bracelet from her wrist was gone. Kid smiled and put the rose into the pocket of her white shirt.

"Consider this as a little thank you for your cooperation. I hope you understand that I have to take The Red Wonder with me. Also, I suggest you leave the balcony doors open, it's such a wonderful moonlit evening after all." With that he turned around and was ready to disappear into the night.

"Wait!" shouted Aoko after him. She gave her word to Miss Emma and her father that she wouldn't let Kid get away, but he was just about to break that promise. In an instant she caught up with him just as he was about to jump off the balcony and take flight.

_I can't let him escape, _she thought and grabbed his cape in order to prevent him transforming it into his well-known hang-glider.

This movement took Kid completely by surprise and caused him to turn around on his heel. He let out a silent scream of astonishment and fell back into the room knocking down Aoko in the process. They both landed on the floor, Aoko on top of Kid. The magician's top hat rolled under the bed. Aoko slowly lifted up her head from his chest.

The boy looked at the girl who was now missing the beret and he could see the slightly ruffled hair that was hidden under it. The girl's face turned pale as if she's just seen a ghost and both their hearts almost jumped out of their chests.

"A… Aoko?!" His jaw dropped and his eyes almost popped out of their orbits. "What are you doing here?" The realisation took him with such surprise, he didn't even mind when the girl grabbed his monocle off his nose.

_Now I know why she seemed so familiar, it's Aoko! And that feeling I had earlier about this heist not being like the others… It all makes sense now. _Yare yare_, I am in so much trouble!_

"K… Kaito?!" The girl asked, seemingly even more flabbergasted than her childhood friend. Then she continued in a much fainter voice as if she was afraid someone could be eavesdropping, "You are Kaitou Kid."

Kaito Kuroba touched his face and realised that his disguise was gone. Aoko has seen his face, he couldn't change that. _She knows my secret identity, it's all over now._

"Oi, is everything alright in there?" Someone was impatiently knocking on the door. "There was a loud noise and I heard a scream. Is Kid there?!" The longer the silence lasted, the angrier the inspector became.

"Shush, don't tell him I'm here," Kaito whispered and quickly put his finger on Aoko's lips making her face to transform into the colour of the rose he made appear earlier. She could feel the warmth of his skin from under the glove.

It was only now that Aoko noticed she was basically lying on top of her childhood friend. Blushing crimson she jumped to her feet and quickly tidied her clothes while avoiding to look at Kaito. Kaito, on the other hand, was rather enjoying that the girl he liked was so close to him and was now a little disappointed this close contact ceased so quickly.

Before Aoko noticed she was already mouthing the following words, "No, everything's fine, _otou_… I mean _keibu-san_. I just knocked something over."

Much to her own surprise, her voice sounded calmer than she expected. This seemed to have convinced the inspector because he only said, "Well, that bloody thief is sure late. Hah, I bet he has trouble outsmarting the flawless security I managed to install this time! He won't be able to sneak in tonight without being apprehended. Your cheeky games have come to an end, Kaitou Kid!" His victorious laugh faded and then there was silence again.

"Thank you for that," said Kaito and went over to the bed to fish out his top hat. He wanted to take advantage of Aoko's speechlessness and disappear before it would be too late. His nervousness seemed to show for his hand was shaking as he picked up his hat. His monocle was already on his nose. When he turned around, he was Kaitou Kid again. However, he couldn't erase Aoko's memory and he was completely without a plan.

"So you switched with that French girl… That was a nice trick, it almost fooled me," he said hoping that would work as a distraction.

"You were the brother, right? There seemed to be something strange about you ever since I dressed up in Miss Emma's clothes," said Aoko slowly.

"Yes, you guessed right. Anyway, I have to get going," he said and patted the pocket of his trousers where the jewel found a temporary stay.

The thief bowed, but didn't move from the spot he was standing. He was looking at Aoko expectantly. Surely she had something to say about what just happened. As far as he knew, she disliked Kid for always making a moron out of her father. It was only two days ago that they got into another fight because of this. Moreover, Aoko was pretty straight forward; she always expressed her thoughts whenever she didn't agree with him. However, now she was only standing in the middle of the room with a sad expression on her features.

"Why?" she asked eventually. "Why did you lie to me?"

"I didn't... It's… It's different. I can't explain it to you." He stepped a little closer not averting his eyes from his friend.

"We have been friends since forever. Kaito, why would you keep silent about something like this?"

"I told you, Aoko. I can't explain and even if I did, you wouldn't understand."

"_Baka._" She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "When I asked you about being Kid, you denied it. I even took your side in front of my father when he had you under suspicion and told him that the Kaito I know would never do anything like this. It seems like I was wrong all the way."

"Aoko…" Kaito wanted to do something to make her understand his situation, but couldn't come up with anything; therefore he just stood there clueless sweating in the outfit that transformed him into the magician under the moonlight.

Aoko was being tortured with various emotions. The love she felt towards her childhood friend got replaced with sadness and anger. She didn't know what his motive for becoming a thief was, but it was against the law and she couldn't support that even if it was someone close to her heart. Tolerating injustice was not appropriate for a policeman's daughter. There was a time when she suspected Kaito of being Kid, but she soon discarded that fact for being way too ridiculous. Why didn't she shout the truth out loud when her father knocked on the door earlier? Perhaps it was the pure revelation that her childhood friend turned out to be the thief that had been causing her father misery in the past months. She wanted to be the first to ask the questions everyone would want to ask in such a situation. Somehow she still believed in Kaito, believed in the fact that there must be an appropriate explanation behind all this. He would surely tell her, Aoko, that now, wouldn't he?

"Aoko, you have to trust me. Will you keep my secret?"

Aoko's head felt like a bomb ready to explode, her thoughts were contradicting themselves and her heart was commading her to do something entirely different. This decision wasn't an easy one to make.

"Never. Kaito, you lied to me and betrayed everyone around you. And above everything else, you broke the law multiple times. I am calling over the police right now. As you might know, they are on standby in front of the door."

Kid gave out a loud sigh. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that. My time is running out," he said and grabbed Aoko by the arm.

"Kaito, let me go," she said clenching her teeth. Does he think he could do anything he pleases? True, she forgave him multiple times in the past, but this time it was the final straw.

Occupied with these thoughts she didn't notice when Kid reached into the breast pocket of his suit and took out something that he then pressed on her mouth. First she was shocked, panicked and wanted to call for help.

There was so much more she wanted to tell him. It was too bad she lost consciousness.

* * *

You've reached the end of Chapter 3, but don't worry, the fourth (and final) chapter will be coming up very soon! Stay tuned, you won't regret it ;)

P.S. Reviews will make me more than happy! *hint hint* :)


	4. Moonlit sky

Kaito held the ruby into the moonlight. The appearance of the jewel didn't change. Seeing that, he let out a loud sigh and let the jewel disappear into the depths of his pocket.

_It is not Pandora. It's a dead end again. And what should I do with her now that she has figured it all out?_ He looked at the sleeping Aoko who was now slowly regaining consciousness as if she had heard his thoughts.

They were on the roof of a building that was not far from the hotel. While Aoko was sleeping he decided to put down his disguise. It didn't matter anymore whether he had his cape on or not. He leaned her against the wall and used his jacket to cover his sleeping friend. Even though it was in the middle of summer, it was still a little cold on the top of that roof in the cool breeze.

"Where am I?" asked Aoko in a silent voice. As she stood up, the jacket slipped from her which she quickly grabbed while muttering a faint sorry.

"Not far from the hotel room. The police were getting impatient and since there was the danger of being interrupted by the inspector, I took you here," said Kaito and pointed at a building in the distance. He thought of the struggle he had to go through while transporting Aoko here, the struggle of avoiding getting distracted by her warmth and the smell of her clothes as he was tightly holding her during the short flight. Not speaking of her skirt which revealed more of her skin when a stronger wind blew in their direction. Kaito shook his head slightly. _Focus._

"Oh," said Aoko and kept silent for a while trying to remember what happened in the past hour. Then her memories returned. "You are Kaitou Kid," she repeated the sentence from before.

"Yes." The answer was short. Kaito didn't know what else he could have said.

"I wish I knew your motive," she said looking at her friend expectantly. She wasn't angry anymore; she came to the conclusion that her childhood friend must have had a very good reason for disguising himself in order to commit the crime of theft night after night. The small dose of the anesthetic she inhaled seemed to have cleared her head somehow. Hoping for an answer, she stepped closer to him and handed him the jacket. Their eyes met in the moonlight and Aoko saw a strange, yet pleasant shine in Kaito's eyes, one she had never seen until now.

Kaito's poker face was history. He decided that Aoko deserved to know. Not about everything, of course, but only a part of the truth that he's been hiding. Telling her everything would only result in unwanted worry from her side, especially if she found out about that shady organisation and about what happened to his father. There was a chance she wouldn't understand; nevertheless a weight would be lifted off his chest. All this time he was constantly anxious about being discovered, especially by Aoko. He was sure he would lose her and this he couldn't bear. And Kaito couldn't help it. The way she was standing there holding his white jacket, the wind softly playing with her long hair, her eyes reflecting her request for an explanation, she looked devastatingly attractive. However, he didn't even know whether Aoko felt the same way as he did.

"I will tell you," he said a little uneasy.

"Yes?" Aoko asked with a puzzled look.

"You have to understand that I can't reveal everything. Even what I am about to say shouldn't be said out loud. I will do it though because…" Kaito hesitated; he had difficulties saying what was on his mind. With his fingers he ran through his thick hair, ruffling them in the process. "I will do it because if I don't, I will lose you. And I never want that to happen," he said eventually.

Aoko's breathing stopped for a second and she was afraid Kaito would hear the wild pounding of her heart. Being occupied with that she couldn't respond.

_Did Kaito just indirectly confess his feelings for me?_ Aoko couldn't believe what she's just heard. Despite having a crush on her magician friend for a long time, she always thought he didn't consider her more than just a friend. She never noticed anything that would tell her whether Kaito ever thought about her in a romantic way.  
_Except for the fact that we are an inseparable couple. We tell each other everything and spend most of our free time together. I don't think I can name anyone else in Kaito's life who shares such a bond with him. Surely he wouldn't choose to spend his time with me if I wasn't special to him, would he? _This question bounced around in her head like a tennis ball. Could it be she didn't see the forest for the trees?

"I am searching for a rather peculiar jewel," Kaito continued, breaking off her train of thoughts. "It is one of a kind and I just have to get my hands on it. It is hidden within an unknown jewel and I will only know whether I got the right one if I look at it in the moonlight. Sadly, the one I acquired tonight isn't the one I am searching for. Aoko, you have to understand that I can't quit being Kaitou Kid until I find this gem. I owe it to my father."

Aoko knew about the circumstances regarding Kaito's father. If all this concerned Toichi, she was convinced Kaito was serious; his father was an inspiration for him after all. Even though Kaito was always cheerful and cheeky, Aoko knew that deep down he was still desolate for he loved his father very much.

"_Arigatou_. For telling me," said Aoko when Kaito fell silent.

"You're not mad anymore?" asked Kaito surprised. "You sure looked like you were about to kill me back in the hotel room."

"No. I knew you wouldn't do such a thing without a good reason. Although there are quite a few questions I want answered regarding your secret identity, but I don't think I will receive them." She looked at him and noticed his victorious smile. Kaito was more than glad Aoko wasn't going to chop off his head anymore. As soon as this was settled, his cheekiness returned.

Aoko continued, "Well, you are very happy all of a sudden. You have to know that I am still making up my mind about telling my father… You did break the law after all. If I withhold this information, it will make me an accomplice."

"What if I kissed you?" Kaito asked all of a sudden. Taking her by the waist, he pulled her closer making her drop the jacket she was tightly gripping throughout their entire conversation. "Would that make you willing to become my partner in crime?"

"W… What?" Aoko looked at Kaito. She felt the warmth he was radiating; she could perfectly feel it through the thin fabric of their clothes. The whole thing was so confusing. First she found out he was the famous thief all of Japan was talking about and the next moment he confessed to her and now he was doing something she has never even dreamed of. Well okay, that's obviously a lie, but she never thought it would actually happen one day. The bonfire burning in her cheeks could even be seen in the darkness of the evening.

Silence fell which Aoko soon broke, seeing that Kaito was still awaiting her answer.

"Kaito, I… I will… I will keep your secret," she stammered in confusion. With Kaito being so close she couldn't focus properly.

"Really?" asked her friend with a delighted face. He wiped away a wisp of her dark hair from her forehead.

"Yes, but… But it still doesn't mean I agree with it," laughed Aoko nervously. With her gaze she followed Kaito's movement. "Err… Will you take me back to the hotel? I think I heard someone shout just now," she said almost in a whisper now, but having no idea what she's just said. Aoko felt like everything was spinning, like she was in the middle of this enormous carousel that made her dizzy and unable to act adequately. The world around her ceased to exist, the only thing she saw was Kaito's blue eyes looking into her own and the only sound she heard was her own heart which was beating faster and faster with every passing second. The strength in her lower limbs threatened to evaporate like rain on a hot summer's day. If Kaito had not gripped her tightly, she would have had difficulties standing straight. Then she noticed something else. Being so close to him she could feel the same was happening to Kaito as well.

Kaito hesitated. "Aoko, I…" Before he could stop himself, he leaned in closer, eradicating the distance left between them with rapid succession. He thought if he didn't do it this time, there might never be another chance like this.

"Yes..?" Aoko's hands curled into a nervous fist and she closed her eyes.

A moment after that the first kiss between Kaito and Aoko happened. Despite it being rather short and awkward, they had no wish to change it in any way. Only to repeat it.

The two childhood friends who were now more than just that stood silently as the soft breeze caressed their cheeks in the moonlight. None of them felt the need to say anything. As we all know, actions speak louder than words.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On the top floor of Tokyo's most prestigious hotel an army of police officers were about to fall asleep while on duty. Inspector Nakamori was walking up and down nervously checking the time every five seconds.

"_Mattaku_, my entire division is sleeping, Kid refuses to show and that Maximilien has disappeared as well. I'm getting too old for this job," he murmured with a displeased expression on his face.

"_Keibu_, shouldn't we check on Miss Emma?" asked a tall young man who was seemingly new on the force.

"I just knocked on the door fifteen minutes ago and everything was fine. Don't you think she would have screamed or used that remote if Kid had made an appearance?"

In that moment the entrance door opened only to reveal a confused man in his twenties dressed only in his underwear. His gaze swept through the dozen officers and finally came to a halt on the inspector.

"Inspector Nakamori!" he shouted and directed his steps towards a rather surprised inspector. "Please explain to me who on earth knocked me out, took my clothes and then put me on the roof to freeze to death!" Lightning was shooting from his green eyes.

It took a moment for the inspector to realise. "KID!" he screamed, sending everyone in the room flying. He ran to Miss Emma's room and tore the massive doors open. As expected, his daughter was nowhere to be seen. The only things that greeted them were the opened balcony doors and a piece of paper that was lying on the bed equipped with the thief's signature. It said, _"I borrowed the ruby and its carrier for a while. Don't fret, inspector, I will return the _ojou-san_ unharmed."_

After tearing the paper to shreds, the inspector ran to the window clenching his teeth.

"Kid, give me back my daughter!" His voice got carried away by the same soft breeze and made a certain magician not so far away unable to suppress a smile.

* * *

So this was it! You, **lovely and faithful reader**, have reached the end of my fanfic. Thank you for taking the time and reading through the lines after each update. It really means A LOT to me! 3 As always, I hope you liked it and I also hope I managed to surprise you at least once :) To tell you the truth, the story didn't quite develop the way I first imagined it, but I assure you that the version you got to read was the better one. And besides, getting those two together has been part of my plan since the beginning ;)

Minna-san, arigatou gozaimasu! :D


End file.
